


Necessary Evil

by Tarlan



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Angst, Character Study, Community: fanfic100, Community: mcsheplets, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-07-01
Updated: 2009-07-01
Packaged: 2017-10-21 13:31:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/225727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bringing Atlantis to Earth was a necessary evil, leaving Atlantis could be one too.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Necessary Evil

**Author's Note:**

> For **McSheplets** Prompt 048 Hope Springs Eternal and **fanfic100** Prompt 062 Spring

Bringing Atlantis to Earth was a necessary evil because, without her, the Wraith would have started culling the planet and from there the entire Milky Way. However, once the superhive ship was no more than what most people would believe was a stardust shower that danced prettily in the night sky for several evenings while tiny particles burned up in Earth's atmosphere, the arguments began.

Perhaps it was true that Atlantis had come from Earth originally, but she had spent the last few million years in Pegasus as the builder of worlds, seeding an entire dwarf galaxy. In the last ten thousand years, she had become a symbol of hope for those civilizations struggling against the Wraith.

Rodney could understand the arguments for keeping Atlantis in the Milky Way; for using her power to protect Earth and her allies from whatever enemies waited out in the reaches of space. He wanted Earth protected for she was the planet of his birth after all, but he knew deep down inside that Atlantis belonged in Pegasus, bringing an end to the millennia of culling that had seen so many mighty civilizations fall.

Most would call Rodney oblivious to all but the most overt of emotions, not able to read the subtle clues in tone and body language, but Rodney only had to look into Teyla's eyes to see the hope for her people dimming, or hear the hard politeness in her voice to know she was sensing bitter defeat. For once, he opened his eyes and ears and tried to read the tone and body language of those who would make the final decision, trying to differentiate between those who were swayed by power and greed over those who sought only knowledge. He would need to approach each group differently if he was to bring hope back to Pegasus.

"You okay?"

"Hmm?" Rodney blinked rapidly and focused on the man standing right in front of him. Sheppard looked as if he'd spent too many late nights playing computer games; his eyes dark ringed and dulled with fatigue. "Ummm. Yes."

"Dr. Keller headed home to...wherever...ten minutes ago. I was kind of surprised you didn't see her off."

Rodney waved away Sheppard's words. "Jennifer resigned as Chief Medical Officer on Atlantis. She wants to remain on Earth close to her father." He felt a vague sense of guilt as he recalled their discussion. He had respected her decision to leave and could only wish she had respected his decision to stay with Atlantis, no matter if the city returned to Pegasus or not. Instead, she had tried to cajole him into leaving, blackmailing him with an end to their relationship if he did not follow her and find a 'safe' job in some private laboratory or college. He had called her bluff, and it had taken him a few minutes after their parting for him to realize that she had been saying a permanent goodbye.

That sense of guilt gnawed at him again but he realized it was because, given the choice between her or Atlantis, he had chosen Atlantis with few regrets.

Sheppard narrowed his eyes. "And you're...?"

"Staying." Was that relief he saw flashing in Sheppard's eyes? He blinked away the confusion, answering his own question. Of course Sheppard would be relieved. "Obviously, my loss would be a physical and intellectual blow to the city."

"Yeah, obviously," Sheppard stated but Rodney recognized affection beneath the dry tone, and wondered why he had never bothered to study all the subtleties of human behavior before, especially Sheppard's.

Over the next few days, Rodney studied people, looking for clues and bending his arguments to counteract claims for keeping Atlantis on Earth. He could sense the tide was turning in his favor, unashamed to use Daniel's persuasive words to manipulate O'Neill into voting to send Atlantis back to her true home, even though that meant sitting through Daniel's boring presentation on the cultural wonders to be found in the Pegasus galaxy. It worked though, and having O'Neill on his side slowly swayed the remaining military to see the advantages of having Atlantis keeping the Wraith contained in Pegasus.

In between his studies of others, he took extra interest in Sheppard, noticing how often he caught John staring at him, or giving him that special, goofy smile that made his eyes sparkle. He began to wonder why he had never noticed how often John touched him considering John kept strict physical boundaries with everyone else. Once he started to add up all the small details, it hadn't taken being a genius to figure it out.

John wanted him.

What Rodney hadn't quite figured out was how he felt in return. At least, not until the day before Atlantis was due to head back to Pegasus.

"Hey Rodney."

"Sheppard! Are you ready to fly this baby home?"

"Baby?"

Rodney flushed a little. "Everything is set for tomorrow and--"

"I'm not going with you."

"--I thought you'd... What do you mean you're not going with us?"

Sheppard grimaced, rubbing the back of his neck. "My rotation ended and I've been reassigned--"

"No!"

John straightened. "You don't get a say in this, Buddy."

"If you stay behind, I stay behind."

The words came without thinking and Rodney was shocked to realize that he meant them. The thought of returning to Pegasus without John was... Well, it was unthinkable. John grabbed his arm as Rodney turned to march away, intending to tell O'Neill exactly where he could shove John's reassignment orders, and Rodney snapped his head back. The wonder and hope-filled expression on John's face froze the snarky comment before it could fall; the warm lips pressed against his only moments later stealing all remaining thought.

Hours later, encircled within strong arms after glorious sex, Rodney wriggled back against John's chest. Tomorrow Atlantis would be going back to Pegasus, possibly without either of them if Rodney could not make the US military see sense. The thought of never walking through her corridors again was a dull ache in his chest, yet, as Rodney listened to the contented breathing against the back of his neck and felt the physical manifestation of love and desire in the body wrapped around him, he realized he had already found his home in his John's arms.

Memories of Jennifer surfaced and how he had put Atlantis before her, but as much as he loved Atlantis, this time he felt no regrets. Leaving her would be a necessary evil if staying meant losing John.

END


End file.
